Body Lift Surgery Guide
Please read these instructions carefully before your abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) surgery at Evita Clinic. Proper preparation helps improve surgical safety, support wound healing, reduce avoidable complications, and make your early recovery more manageable.
Most Important Notes
- Fasting: Do not eat or drink anything, including water, for at least 6 hours before surgery.
- GLP-1 Medications: Stop once-weekly medications such as Wegovy®, Ozempic®, Mounjaro®, and Zepbound® at least 7 days before surgery. Stop daily GLP-1 medications from the day before surgery.
- Smoking and Nicotine: Stop smoking, vaping, and all nicotine products at least 2 weeks before surgery and avoid them for at least 2 weeks afterward.
- Maintain a Stable Weight: Avoid both weight gain and aggressive weight loss immediately before surgery. Do not use crash diets, prolonged fasting, dehydration, or extreme calorie restriction.
- Postoperative Monitoring: A companion is not required. After surgery, a dedicated nurse will monitor you closely in the recovery area and assist you until you are stable and ready for discharge.
- Medical Information: Inform Evita Clinic about all medical conditions, allergies, medications, birth control, hormone therapy, vitamins, supplements, and previous anesthesia reactions.
- Follow-Up Visit: You must return to Evita Clinic the day after surgery for your first postoperative examination.
- Bring Your Passport: Bring your passport or another valid identification document on the day of surgery.
Understanding Abdominoplasty
Abdominoplasty removes excess abdominal skin and fat and tightens the abdominal wall when necessary. In many patients, rectus muscle plication is performed to correct abdominal muscle separation and improve abdominal contour.
Abdominoplasty is not a weight-loss procedure. It is most appropriate when your weight is reasonably stable and you have excess skin, abdominal wall laxity, or localized fat that cannot be adequately improved through diet and exercise alone.
Depending on your condition, the operation may include liposuction, muscle plication, umbilical repositioning, removal of excess skin, and placement of surgical drains.
Before Surgery Checklist
Maintain a Stable Weight and Good Nutrition
Try to maintain a reasonably stable weight before surgery. Significant weight gain may change the planned surgical area and affect the expected contour.
Aggressive weight loss immediately before surgery is also not recommended. Crash dieting, prolonged fasting, dehydration, and severe calorie restriction may reduce your energy, protein intake, hydration, and overall physical condition.
- Do not intentionally gain weight before surgery.
- Avoid crash diets and very-low-calorie diets.
- Avoid prolonged fasting or deliberate dehydration.
- Eat regular, balanced meals.
- Include adequate protein in your daily diet.
- Maintain normal hydration until the required fasting period begins.
- Do not begin an extreme exercise or weight-loss program immediately before surgery.
If you are actively losing a substantial amount of weight, it may be better to reach a stable and maintainable weight before proceeding with abdominoplasty.
Birth Control and Hormone Therapy
Inform Evita Clinic if you use birth control pills, contraceptive patches, vaginal rings, estrogen therapy, testosterone, fertility medication, or any other hormone treatment.
Do not stop prescribed birth control or hormone medication on your own.
Most patients do not automatically need to stop hormonal medication. However, estrogen-containing birth control or hormone therapy may increase the risk of blood clots when additional risk factors are present.
Because abdominoplasty is a relatively extensive operation and activity may be reduced during early recovery, Evita Clinic will assess your individual blood-clot risk.
If temporary discontinuation of an estrogen-containing product is recommended, it may need to be stopped approximately 4 weeks before surgery. Alternative contraception may be needed during this period.
Progestin-only contraception, contraceptive implants, and hormonal intrauterine devices generally do not require routine discontinuation, but you should still inform the clinic.
Stop Smoking and Nicotine
Stop smoking and using all nicotine products at least 2 weeks before surgery and avoid them for at least 2 weeks afterward.
Nicotine reduces blood flow to healing skin and may increase the risk of delayed healing, wound opening, skin discoloration, infection, and umbilical or lower abdominal skin complications.
- Cigarettes
- Electronic cigarettes and vaping
- Heated tobacco products
- Nicotine gum
- Nicotine patches
- Nicotine pouches
- Other nicotine-containing products
Inform Evita Clinic if you have been unable to stop nicotine before surgery. Your surgery may need to be postponed for safety.
Aspirin and Anti-Inflammatory Painkillers
Unless specifically approved by Evita Clinic, avoid aspirin and anti-inflammatory painkillers for at least 2 weeks before surgery. These medications may increase bleeding and bruising.
- Aspirin
- Advil® or Motrin® (ibuprofen)
- Naprosyn® or Aleve® (naproxen)
- Excedrin® products containing aspirin
- Other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications
If aspirin was prescribed for a heart, vascular, or neurological condition, do not stop it without approval from the prescribing physician.
Vitamins, Herbal Products, and Supplements
Inform Evita Clinic about all vitamins, herbal medicines, weight-loss products, bodybuilding products, and dietary supplements.
Some supplements may increase bleeding, affect blood pressure or blood glucose, or interact with medications used during IV sedation.
- Vitamin E
- Ginkgo biloba
- Ginseng
- Garlic extract
- Fish oil or high-dose omega-3
- St. John’s wort
- Weight-loss supplements
- Pre-workout or bodybuilding supplements
- Other herbal products
Stop non-essential supplements according to the instructions provided by Evita Clinic. Do not assume that a product is safe simply because it is described as natural.
Once-Weekly GLP-1 Medications
Inform Evita Clinic if you use a GLP-1 or GIP/GLP-1 medication for weight loss or diabetes.
These medications may slow stomach emptying. Food or liquid may remain in the stomach even after fasting, which may increase the risk of regurgitation or aspiration during IV sedation.
Evita Clinic requires once-weekly GLP-1 injections to be stopped at least 7 full days before surgery.
Common once-weekly medications include:
- Wegovy® (semaglutide)
- Ozempic® (semaglutide)
- Mounjaro® (tirzepatide)
- Zepbound® (tirzepatide)
- Other similar once-weekly medications
There must be at least 7 days between your last weekly injection and your scheduled surgery.
For example, if your surgery is scheduled for a Wednesday, your last weekly injection must be taken no later than the previous Wednesday.
If you accidentally use a weekly injection within 7 days of surgery, contact Evita Clinic immediately. Do not wait until the day of surgery to inform us. Your surgery may need to be delayed or rescheduled.
Daily GLP-1 Medications
Stop daily GLP-1 medications from the day before surgery and do not take them on the morning of surgery.
Common daily medications include:
- Rybelsus® (oral semaglutide)
- Saxenda® (liraglutide)
- Victoza® (liraglutide)
- Other similar daily GLP-1 medications
If the medication is being used to treat diabetes, inform both Evita Clinic and the physician who prescribed it before changing your medication schedule.
Your diabetes treatment may need to be adjusted temporarily to prevent excessively high or low blood glucose levels.
GLP-1 Dose Escalation and Digestive Symptoms
Contact Evita Clinic before surgery if any of the following applies:
- You recently started a GLP-1 medication.
- Your dose was recently increased.
- You are still in the dose-escalation phase.
- You are using a high dose and have significant digestive side effects.
- You have nausea or vomiting.
- You have abdominal pain or significant bloating.
- You have severe or persistent constipation.
- You frequently feel that food remains in your stomach for a long time.
- You have a medical condition that delays stomach emptying.
- You used a weekly injection within 7 days of surgery.
Elective surgery may need to be postponed until the dose-escalation period has passed and significant gastrointestinal symptoms have completely resolved.
Fasting for 6 hours does not automatically eliminate the risk when stomach emptying is significantly delayed.
Do not attempt to manage this risk by extending your fasting period without first contacting Evita Clinic.
Restarting GLP-1 Medication
Do not restart your GLP-1 medication immediately on your own.
Abdominoplasty may temporarily reduce your appetite and oral intake. Nausea, constipation, dehydration, and abdominal tightness may also occur during early recovery.
Restart the medication only after you are eating and drinking normally and after confirming the timing with Evita Clinic or the physician who prescribed it.
Prescription Blood-Thinning Medications
Inform Evita Clinic as early as possible if you take an anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication.
- Plavix® (clopidogrel)
- Warfarin or Coumadin®
- Xarelto® (rivaroxaban)
- Eliquis® (apixaban)
- Pradaxa® (dabigatran)
- Other prescription blood-thinning medications
These medications may need to be temporarily stopped before surgery, but the correct timing varies according to the medication, dose, kidney function, medical indication, and prescribing physician’s instructions.
Never stop a prescription blood thinner on your own.
Written clearance, additional blood tests, or a temporary alternative medication may be required before surgery.
Blood-Clot Risk Assessment
Abdominoplasty is more extensive than minor outpatient surgery, and walking may be temporarily limited during early recovery. Inform Evita Clinic if you have any blood-clot risk factors.
- Previous deep vein thrombosis
- Previous pulmonary embolism
- Known clotting disorder
- Family history of blood clots at a young age
- Severe varicose veins
- Current estrogen-containing birth control or hormone therapy
- Current smoking or nicotine use
- Significant obesity
- Recent major surgery or prolonged immobility
- Active cancer treatment
- Long-distance travel immediately before or after surgery
Your surgeon may recommend additional blood tests, medication adjustments, mechanical compression, more frequent walking, or another preventive plan according to your individual risk.
Medical Conditions, Allergies, and Previous Reactions
Inform Evita Clinic about all current and previous medical conditions, even if they appear unrelated to abdominal surgery.
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes or abnormal blood glucose
- Heart disease or abnormal heart rhythm
- Asthma or other respiratory disease
- Sleep apnea or heavy snoring
- Varicose veins
- Bleeding or clotting disorders
- Anemia
- Liver or kidney disease
- Thyroid disease
- Seizure disorder
- History of fainting
- Previous abdominal surgery
- Previous anesthesia or sedation complications
- History of alcohol or substance misuse
Also inform us about:
- Antibiotic allergies
- Pain medication allergies
- Anti-inflammatory medication allergies
- Soybean allergy
- Latex or adhesive allergy
- Previous medication reactions
- Previous severe nausea or vomiting after anesthesia
Accurate medical information helps us select appropriate medications, determine the safe extent of surgery, and reduce avoidable complications.
Pregnancy and Menstrual Cycle
Inform Evita Clinic if you may be pregnant, are actively trying to become pregnant, or have had an unexpected change in your menstrual cycle.
Abdominoplasty cannot proceed during pregnancy. A pregnancy test may be required when pregnancy is possible.
Menstruation does not always require cancellation, but please inform us if your period is expected on the operation date or if you have unusually heavy bleeding, severe menstrual symptoms, dizziness, or known anemia.
Prepare for Recovery
Abdominoplasty temporarily limits standing fully upright, getting out of bed, lifting, driving, and performing household activities.
A companion is not required at Evita Clinic. After surgery, a dedicated nurse will monitor you closely in the recovery area, assist you with walking, and confirm that your condition is stable before discharge.
- Prepare loose, front-opening, or easy-to-wear clothing.
- Prepare several pillows to support your back and knees.
- Keep frequently used items within easy reach.
- Prepare simple meals, drinking water, and necessary medications in advance.
- Avoid carrying heavy luggage after surgery.
- Plan adequate time away from work and strenuous activities.
- Choose accommodation with an elevator and easy access to the clinic.
Although a companion is not mandatory, you may arrange optional assistance at your accommodation if you feel that it would make the first night more comfortable.
Prepare the Surgical Area
Male patients should carefully trim or shave the hair around the belly button, lower abdomen, and upper pubic area approximately 2–3 days before surgery.
Do not shave immediately before surgery. Fresh cuts, irritation, or folliculitis may increase the risk of infection.
Do not apply body lotion, oil, self-tanning products, or other cosmetic products to the abdomen on the morning of surgery.
Begin Fasting
Do not eat or drink anything for at least 6 hours before surgery.
This includes:
- Food
- Water
- Coffee or tea
- Juice or other beverages
- Milk
- Protein drinks
- Candy
- Chewing gum
If you accidentally eat or drink during the fasting period, inform Evita Clinic immediately. Your surgery may need to be delayed or rescheduled.
On the Day of Surgery
- Do not eat or drink anything during the required fasting period.
- Do not take a daily GLP-1 medication.
- Tell our medical staff immediately if you used a weekly GLP-1 injection within 7 days of surgery.
- Tell our medical staff if you currently have nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, or severe constipation.
- Bring your passport or another valid identification document.
- Remove all body piercings before arriving at the clinic.
- Remove contact lenses before surgery.
- Remove makeup and nail polish as instructed.
- Leave at least one fingernail completely uncovered for monitoring.
- Do not apply body lotion, oil, or cosmetic products to the abdomen.
- Wear loose and comfortable clothing that is easy to put on after surgery.
- A front-opening shirt, loose trousers, or a loose dress is recommended.
- Do not bring valuable jewelry or unnecessary valuables.
- Do not drive yourself to or from the clinic.
- Arrive at the scheduled appointment time provided by our coordinator.
- If you take medication for high blood pressure, inform Evita Clinic in advance. In most cases, it may be taken with a small sip of water, but follow the individual instructions provided to you.
- Bring essential prescribed medications that may be needed during your stay at the clinic.
- After surgery, a dedicated nurse will monitor your recovery and assist you until you are stable and ready for discharge.
What to Expect After Surgery
- Abdominoplasty at Evita Clinic is generally performed using tumescent local anesthesia and IV sedation.
- The operation usually takes approximately 3–4 hours, depending on the extent of skin removal, liposuction, and muscle plication.
- You will be monitored closely in the recovery area for several hours after surgery.
- A dedicated nurse will assist you with medication, hydration, initial walking, and preparation for discharge.
- Surgical drains are commonly placed to remove fluid during early recovery.
- Drain removal timing depends on the amount and character of the drainage.
- You will usually begin wearing your compression garment the day after surgery after your first postoperative examination, unless you receive different instructions.
- Walking in a slightly bent position is normal during the first several days.
- Gentle, frequent walking is encouraged to support circulation, but excessive walking and prolonged standing should be avoided.
- You must return to Evita Clinic the following day for your first postoperative check-up.
Important Note
Abdominoplasty is a substantial body-contouring operation. The safest recovery begins with stable weight, adequate nutrition, complete medical disclosure, correct medication management, and realistic preparation for temporarily reduced activity.
Avoid both intentional weight gain and aggressive weight loss immediately before surgery. Focus on balanced meals, adequate protein, normal hydration, sufficient sleep, and maintaining your usual physical condition.
A companion is not mandatory. Evita Clinic provides dedicated nursing observation during the postoperative recovery period and confirms that you are stable and able to walk safely before discharge.
Every patient has a different medical history, medication schedule, blood-clot risk, surgical plan, and recovery process. Follow the individual instructions provided by Evita Clinic, even if they differ from general information found online.
Questions?
Contact Evita Clinic before surgery if you are unsure about a GLP-1 medication, birth control, hormone therapy, blood thinner, supplement, fasting instruction, pregnancy possibility, weight-loss plan, travel schedule, or medical condition.